So I wrecked my wagon.....again

[GoldDiggerRoo]

Well, I managed to slightly destroy the wagon again. Some friends and I were out riding around in my wagon on a back country road Thursday night looking for something to do and we found it. The road were on was pretty curvy but we didn't wreck in a hard turn, it had stormed a few hours earlier but the roads were dry until we came upon one turn where the road was wet and covered with leaves, the car started to push and I backed out but it was no use she just kept going so I locked it down and braced for the worst. We ran over a bank and a few trees in the process, up rooted a 6/7 foot tall pine, finally smacked into a tree and the back end flew around, leaving me parallel parked between two trees.

 

Long story somewhat shorter we managed to get a ride home and borrowed moms BF suburban, came back and pulled the rear of the wagon away from the tree. I hopped in it, fired it up and drove it off the bank and over a sea of 3-4 foot tall boulders. Most of the damage came from the exit, but it was the only way out..... managed to pop a tire and bend up the pass. side rocker, fender, and push the rear bumper up a bit. We hooked the tow rope to it and flat towed it home..... I pulled out the front and drove it down the road today, all seems ok except when you're going straight the wheel is pointed towards 2 and it feels like it's pointed at 9.

 

I'm gonna try and get it checked out this week, nothing was obviously bent but something is outta whack. Depending on the diagnosis this may be the end of the wagon, I don't see much point dumping a lot of money in it.

 

It's kinda funny that the damage is almost exactly the same as it was last time I wrecked it.

 

Oh, no one was hurt, but I was so freakin' sore the next day.

 

Pics!

 

 

Part of the pine... and the dented in skid plate

 

Some more tree under the car....pine....I think

 

How she lookes now....

 

And how it looked after the last wreck....

[GeneralDisorder]

You need a bumper/brushguard to take the punishment (or some of it). Ruining rare 82 chrome bumpers isn't cool.

 

GD

[beataru]

:( :( it makes me cry to look at it..... Your gonna fixer up though right???

[ShawnW]

You know, Subaru did the necessary crash testing back in the early 80's and they aren't hiring any more dummies.

[jeep5.9litre]

Hope youre feelin OK man..and its good nobody was hurt...I think you should keep it on the road if it doesnt need too much money..what are your plans?

[GoldDiggerRoo]

You need a bumper/brushguard to take the punishment (or some of it). Ruining rare 82 chrome bumpers isn't cool.

 

GD

 

Wow, rare?

 

I think I paid $5 for it from a felllow board member, it was going to the crusher otherwise because no one else wanted it.

 

As for my future plans, if it's not expensive to get the steering sorted out and I find another hood & bumper I'll stick it back on the road. If not I'll likely sell it or part it out..... it would make a good off-road rig for someone, but I need a daily driver right now.... the Brat isn't quite doing it.

[GeneralDisorder]

Rare enough - try finding a good one without dents when you are restoreing an 82 Brat or something. They aren't the most rare item in the world of course, but being that you have to get them from 4WD's only, and only a select few years..... yeah it makes them hard to find. Random stuff will fall into your lap, but when you actually go looking for some rare item it can't be found in all the land.

 

GD

[GoldDiggerRoo]

Rare enough - try finding a good one without dents when you are restoreing an 82 Brat or something. They aren't the most rare item in the world of course, but being that you have to get them from 4WD's only, and only a select few years..... yeah it makes them hard to find. Random stuff will fall into your lap, but when you actually go looking for some rare item it can't be found in all the land.

 

GD

 

I know how it is, I tried getting a '84 4WD bumper for months for the wagon to no avail, then I came upon that one, as well as the perfect cyclops and grille, hood, doors and various other parts that I passed onto people who needed them. All parts that were going to the crusher days from when I grabbed them up.

 

It's not like I destroyed it on purpose though........ i mean since this car is my daily driver and all...... Maybe I should just park it since it obviously isn't worthy enough to put any nice parts on, should save them for the real Subes...Brats and Hatches.....

[jeep5.9litre]

How is the rust on it?

[GeneralDisorder]

It's not like I destroyed it on purpose though........ i mean since this car is my daily driver and all...... Maybe I should just park it since it obviously isn't worthy enough to put any nice parts on, should save them for the real Subes...Brats and Hatches.....

 

For fear of causing further damage to my EA81's, I drive an EA82 as my daily. My Brat is potentially worth too much at this point to use as a daily in my mind. I see it as an investment, and one day may be a down payment on a house or something. My wagon of course is too primitive, and the tires too expensive to use as a daily. It does have serious bumpers and guards to prevent as much damage as possible, and to make easy replacement without searching the entire globe for parts. The EA82 is perfect - runs nice, cold AC, and cheap as dirt. Plus it's worth less than $1,000 even in nice condition. I could walk away from an accident, just shrug my shoulders and laugh at the other guy crying over his crushed expensive car.

 

GD

[Manarius]

You know, Subaru did the necessary crash testing back in the early 80's and they aren't hiring any more dummies.

That wasn't very nice :-\.

 

You gotta admit, the amount of damage the car took pales in comparison to what a car of today's standards would have gotten.

[ShawnW]

That wasn't very nice :-\.

 

You gotta admit, the amount of damage the car took pales in comparison to what a car of today's standards would have gotten.

 

True, not nice meant only in fun anyway. And yes that would have totalled most of todays cars.

[torxxx]

I agree with shawn. The old soobies can take a pounding compared to the new plastic cars.

[Subieguy]

You have to fix it. Damage is not too bad. Hey you fixed it once before why not one more time.

[GoldDiggerRoo]

You have to fix it. Damage is not too bad. Hey you fixed it once before why not one more time.

 

I know how rusty it is now and it's still needs axels, add fender, hood, bumper, grille and whatever it needs to drive straight.... it'll likly be just as worth it to buy another wagon at some point in the future.

 

I did however drive the car for about half an hour last night, other than the severe pull to the left and tire squal it runs like a dream, looks like a nightmare though.

 

I could surely use the engine in my Brat too, and mom could benefit from the 4WD parts going on her FWD hatch.

 

And there is no way I could ever see these cars or any car as an investment. I've had cars way more valuable and desirable than these will ever be.... they're meant to be driven. I have a friend with 4 Cuda's Converts from '67-'71 and they do nothing but sit..... that's just wrong.

If I wanted a car to set around and collect dust I'd buy some diecast or something.

[beataru]

I know how rusty it is now and it's still needs axels, add fender, hood, bumper, grille and whatever it needs to drive straight.... it'll likly be just as worth it to buy another wagon at some point in the future.

 

I did however drive the car for about half an hour last night, other than the severe pull to the left and tire squal it runs like a dream, looks like a nightmare though.

 

I could surely use the engine in my Brat too, and mom could benefit from the 4WD parts going on her FWD hatch.

 

And there is no way I could ever see these cars or any car as an investment. I've had cars way more valuable and desirable than these will ever be.... they're meant to be driven. I have a friend with 4 Cuda's Converts from '67-'71 and they do nothing but sit..... that's just wrong.

If I wanted a car to set around and collect dust I'd buy some diecast or something.

I totaly agree!!! Cars were built to be driven... wether it degrades there value or not!!!!!

[gravelRX]

Where in Roanoke does someone have 4 Cuda convertibles?

 

Get the exhaust fixed on the Brat?

 

 

Jay

[daeron]

i actually knew a guy with 3 convertible challengers... and a cuda. one of the challengers was his first car from age 16. the cuda was his daily driver.

[GoldDiggerRoo]

Where in Roanoke does someone have 4 Cuda convertibles?

 

Get the exhaust fixed on the Brat?

 

 

Jay

 

not only does he have 4 Cuda 'verts, he has a '68 Formula S 383 car and a 40 plymouth business coupe and a '67 hemi GTX, an extra hemi and a 50's Plymouth truck.....

 

Ever seen the orange 71 383 'cuda convertible out? they belong to him, name is Richard, none for sale though.

[gravelRX]

Does he go to Fast Freddies on Saturdays? That's the only place I would see anything archaic like that en mass. Lot's of nice cars out there. Someone had a real AAR out the weekend of 09/16 , the side had been keyed at his dealership.

I'm sometimes suprised at all the old, rare cars that are in and around Roanoke. When you walk around on Sat nights at FF you definately can tell that NASCAR reigns supreme around these parts.

 

Did you get your Brat exhaust fixed? It looked to be a fairly straight forward repair.

 

Jay

[johnceggleston]

if you need some one in roanke to do an engine swap where would you go, or in other words, where's a good soobie shop in roaknke. i do little things my self, but need to find some one reliable for bigger things. hopefully i won't ever need them , but you never know.

 

and on another note, do you know who drives the late 80's (?) subaru with lisence plate "rubasu"? saw it on the hiway and just wondered.

 

thanks,

john

 

Does he go to Fast Freddies on Saturdays? That's the only place I would see anything archaic like that en mass. Lot's of nice cars out there. Someone had a real AAR out the weekend of 09/16 , the side had been keyed at his dealership.

I'm sometimes suprised at all the old, rare cars that are in and around Roanoke. When you walk around on Sat nights at FF you definately can tell that NASCAR reigns supreme around these parts.

 

Did you get your Brat exhaust fixed? It looked to be a fairly straight forward repair.

 

Jay

[gravelRX]

I get my cars inspected at the top of Bent Mountain on 221. 25 minutes up the mountain. Reed's Garage. the fellows name is Tim. He's the owner. Always overbooked but honest and reasonably priced.

 

I have also heard that Mitchell's garage going into Garden City is an honest shop. My Bro-in-law takes things there when he doesn't have time to do it himself.

 

My uncle has a transmission shop called Jae Valley Garage, he's booked solid as he does all the transmission work for the local dealerships and works on most of the big RV's in Roanoke too.

 

Can't say I have any shop do anything except exhaust work.

 

Muffler Haus on Plantation road is great. One guy with a torch and a welder. Fair price. Really good work.

 

 

Never seen that Subaru you speak of. The grey wagon with the pugs is ScotTM.

 

Jay

[johnceggleston]

thanks, that helps.

 

i haven't been to reed's since i lived up there, and that was a long time ago. i guess they worked on foreign cars then, but mostly trucks and american sedans. that's what most old timers drove.

 

there's a subaru driver (mid 80s ?) who's the manager of wimmer tier service just off franklin rd, but when asked he said "us". he claims to do the service for carillion hospitals, they have a fleet of imprezas. but some times service is different from repair, and wimmer is mostly tires, brakes, oil change, etc. i wouldn't look to them for engine repair or replacement.

 

 

 

I get my cars inspected at the top of Bent Mountain on 221. 25 minutes up the mountain. Reed's Garage. the fellows name is Tim. He's the owner. Always overbooked but honest and reasonably priced.

 

I have also heard that Mitchell's garage going into Garden City is an honest shop. My Bro-in-law takes things there when he doesn't have time to do it himself.

 

My uncle has a transmission shop called Jae Valley Garage, he's booked solid as he does all the transmission work for the local dealerships and works on most of the big RV's in Roanoke too.

 

Can't say I have any shop do anything except exhaust work.

 

Muffler Haus on Plantation road is great. One guy with a torch and a welder. Fair price. Really good work.

 

 

Never seen that Subaru you speak of. The grey wagon with the pugs is ScotTM.

 

Jay

[GoldDiggerRoo]

Does he go to Fast Freddies on Saturdays? That's the only place I would see anything archaic like that en mass. Lot's of nice cars out there. Someone had a real AAR out the weekend of 09/16 , the side had been keyed at his dealership.

I'm sometimes suprised at all the old, rare cars that are in and around Roanoke. When you walk around on Sat nights at FF you definately can tell that NASCAR reigns supreme around these parts.

 

Did you get your Brat exhaust fixed? It looked to be a fairly straight forward repair.

 

Jay

 

He's been there a few times with it, but he's had it for 10-15 years, so you may've seen it a few times else where, 4th of July thing on Williamson and downtown for sure.

 

Was that the green AAR with the torque thrusts? Something is up with that car, AAR's didn't have Barracuda emblems and last I saw it it has a single 4 instead of a sixpack.....

 

Didn't get the exhaust fixed, I dropped it to put on the gaskets and it turns out that there is a big chunk missing out of the head where the two mate. I guess I need to find an EA81 trans so I can put the engine from the wagon in the Brat..... or figure out what it'll take to swap in the engine from my Z. I could have fun in the Brat with a 2.8.

 

John, for repair work I take my stuff to my friend Jeff, he's @ Caviler Auto on 604 (Cloverdale Rd.) he has an STI and is really good on most everything, and fantastic on newer subes.